Scared
by The Sacred and Profane
Summary: Who knows what fear lurks in the heart of Reno? Tifa's going to find out. ReTi for aerisbolt.
1. Chapter 1

Scared

AN: I own nothing in this story. This is for aerisbolt so enjoy! Please R&R.

Tifa had just gotten out of the shower and was drying off her long brown hair when she heard the shriek. It was piercing and she ran towards the sound. It eventually led her to the living room where Reno was backed up against the wall, eyes wide and crimson hair sticking up slightly.

"What's wrong?" Reno pointed with a shaky finger towards the carpeted floor. Tifa looked around but just saw a tiny grasshopper that had somehow gotten in from outside. Turning back to her boyfriend, Tifa raised an eyebrow.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Reno shook his head and looked like he was ready to run into another room.

"No...I'm scared of grasshoppers..." he said, whispering the last word.

"You're scared of what?"

"Grasshoppers okay? They freak me out!" Tifa didn't know whether to laugh or support her boyfriend. Her body was quicker than her mind however and she gave a snort of a laugh. This soon became a grand torrent of giggles, guffaws, and chuckles, the barmaid eventually having to hold her sides. To think that an assassin would be scared of something like this.

"Stop laughing, yo!" Reno exclaimed, face turning as red as his hair. Tifa stopped after several more moments, her face red from all the laughter. Before another word was spoken, the grasshopper hopped closer to the couple and Reno ran into the kitchen. "Get rid of it!" Tifa glared at him then and Reno gulped. "I mean would you mind getting rid of it?" Tifa nodded, the glare vanishing like mist.

"Alright Re, I'll get the nasty bug away," Tifa said, adding a teasing lilt to her voice. Walking over, she bent down and quickly had the grasshopper in her palm. Going to the front door, she opened it a crack and set the insect on the ground. Shutting it, she returned to her boyfriend. She was about to place her right hand on his shoulder when he moved back a little.

"Please don't touch me with the same hand you touched that devil spawn with," Reno said. The smile that lit up Tifa's face made Reno nervous. She lunged toward him out of the blue and Reno started to run.

After several minutes of cat and mouse Tifa finally caught up with him back in the living room. She soon had him pinned and started stroking his cheek with her right hand.

"Most guys like it when their girlfriend does this Re," she commented.

"I'm not most guys Teef."

"That's true, most guys wouldn't be scared of grasshoppers." Reno gave a sigh and hung his head. Tifa stopped her caressing and got off her boyfriend. Laying down beside him, she looked into his eyes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you...if you'll make breakfast."

"Is that the only reason you moved in with me, for how good I was in the kitchen?" Reno asked jokingly.

"Drat you figured it out," Tifa replied, her lips upturning into a smirk. Reno laughed and pressed his forehead against hers. Neither said anything for sometime, they just stared into the others eyes, hands entwined.

"Reno..." Tifa murmured after awhile.

"Yes?"

"I was serious about breakfast." Reno chuckled and nodded.

"Since you saved me from that grasshopper breakfast is the least I can do." Reno stood up and reached out a hand to help his lover to her feet. Once they were both standing again, Reno started to walk towards the kitchen when he felt Tifa's arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer until his back was pressing against her chest.

"I love you, just thought you should know that..." Tifa whispered softly into Reno's ear.

"I know babe."

"I'll always be with you, understand?" Reno nodded. "And you know what else?"

"What?" Reno could feel Tifa's lips form into a smile as she kissed his neck.

"I'd get rid of all the grasshoppers in the world for you."

"Is that so?" Reno asked.

"Yeah..."

"I'm really lucky to have someone like you in my life Teef." Tifa turned him around then and Reno saw that she was blushing.

"Ditto..." Reno rolled his eyes as he walked towards the kitchen. Leave it to Tifa to spoil the romantic mood. But he loved her anyway, even if she would tease him about this at least once a week for the next month.


	2. Chapter 2

Fangs

AN: Once again I own nothing in this story. This is for aerisbolt so enjoy! Please R&R.

Tifa slowly opened her eyes, letting in the morning light that shone on the bed she shared with her boyfriend. She reached out an arm to wrap around his warm body but the only thing her arm met was a crumpled up sheet. Sitting up, Tifa ran a hand through her hair and called out for Reno. When he didn't reply back, Tifa finally got out of bed.

The note was on the kitchen counter written in Reno's neat style.

_Good morning babe, sorry I slipped away without waking you but I thought you needed your sleep after our fun last night. Anyway the boss called a surprise meeting so I won't be home until nighttime._

_Kisses, Reno_

Sighing in relief, Tifa set the note down and started to think of things to kill the time until night fell.

The hours passed quickly as the day wore on. Tifa had done her laundry, gone grocery shopping, and was now vegging on the couch. Her gaze would occasionally drift to the living room window where the dying sunset etched beautiful ribbons of pink, gold, and vermilion into the horizon. But this ethereal painting vanished in twenty minutes and darkness fell. Tifa shivered a little as she saw a bat flutter through the air and dissipate from view.

Now Tifa wasn't afraid of bats. But what she was deathly afraid of was something that could assume the shape of one. An undying fear that was eternal. To wit, Tifa Lockhart was terrified by vampires.

Dio Brando, Demitri Maximoff, and the various incarnations of Dracula from Legosi to Butler if it had fangs, supernatural powers, and a blood lust the young Avalanche member would tremble like a leaf in a storm. She hadn't told Reno about this irrational fear, even though it had been a few months since the grasshopper incident. The barmaid could just hear his teasing, I mean what grown woman was scared of something that wasn't real?

Tifa's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a figure moving along the row of streetlights outside. As the shadowy form moved under each one, the light would vanish before she could view the face of the nighttime traveler. And, Tifa soon realized, the thing was headed for her house. All the electricity illuminating the room flickered and then failed entirely.

Her heart was pounding and Tifa found herself praying it was Reno and she was just overreacting. However with the darkness it was hard to make out just who or what was outside. A face was soon mashed against the window and Tifa gave a piercing shriek. The being outside moved away from the window and soon started knocking on the door.

Nothing in the world would cause Tifa to answer that knock and she backed away into the kitchen. She searched quickly for some garlic and gave a prayer of thanks that she kept some of it along with other herbs in an easily accessible pantry. And although she didn't have a cross or holy water, garlic was better than nothing, Tifa's fear addled mind assured her.

The door opened suddenly and Tifa rushed towards the shadowy apparition, nearly shoving the garlic down it's throat.

"How do you like that you undead bastard!" The assumed Nosferatu gave a muffled moan but didn't fall to the ground. Instead Tifa felt two strong hands on her shoulders. She screamed and was about to try and punch the monster when the power suddenly came back on and Tifa found herself staring at her boyfriend, a clove of garlic between his teeth and a confused expression on his face.

Needless to say, Tifa's face was tomato red.

"Re, I'm sorry- but Reno put a finger to her lips.

"It's okay, I'm sorry I scared you." He didn't say anything for a few moments and looked down at the garlic clove on the floor and back up at Tifa.

"So you're scared of vampires?" If Tifa could have turned any redder, the Kool Aid mascot would be out of a job. She gave a slight nod. But Reno didn't laugh, even a chuckle didn't escape his mouth.

"Why aren't you teasing me? I didn't waste anytime when I found out about your fear."

"I'm just waiting for the opportune moment. And besides I wouldn't want you to shove anymore garlic down my throat." Tifa narrowed her eyes at him then but Reno had escaped to the restroom to gargle some mouthwash. So Tifa decided to let it drop for the moment and remind Reno just how much she missed him.

His lips moved up her shoulder and jumped over her neck to attack her lips. Her grip tightened as pleasure was seared into her skin from his ministrations. With a moan, she relaxed and together they lay. She lazily stared at him and smiled, which he returned.

"Are you up for another?" Reno asked.

"So soon?" Tifa replied. Reno nodded and gestured for her to move in front of him. She did as he asked and soon his arms were around her middle, the arch of her back colliding softly with his muscled chest. His breath was cool against her neck and Tifa was sure she could see it coalesce into a fine mist.

"_C'mon baby..." _Reno growled seductively into her ear. Then he started alternatively kissing and sucking the tender skin covering her jugular. Tifa shivered and muttered something under her breath.

"Not funny, Re..." He chuckled but ceased in his assault.

"I'm just trying to help you get over your fear," he commented. Tifa rolled her eyes but then felt his body heat leave her. She turned to look at him, an arm pulling him back to his previous position.

"I didn't say I wanted you to stop, did I?" Reno shook his head and resumed his passionate caresses while Tifa moaned her pleasure to the sable sky.


End file.
